Condenser



April 9, 1963 A. LAFOSSE ETAL 3,085,181

CONDENSER Filed May 26, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (Jar/es 302 Z //V/ April9, 1963 A. LAFOSSE ETAL 3,085,181

CONDENSER I Filed May 26, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent3,085,181 CONDENSER Andr Lafosse, Courcelles, and Charles Bozzini,Charleroi, Belgium, assignors to Ateliers de Constructions Electriquesde Charleroi (ACEC), Brussels, Belgium Filed May 26, 1961, Ser. No.112,919 11 Claims. (Cl. 317-242) The instant invention pertains tocondensers wherein spools of elementary condensers are located betweenpairs of parallel conductors. It relates more particularly to anextremely compact condenser, that is one with a very high ratiokvalz/drn. capable of being used not only for low frequencies but alsoand mainly for very high frequencies, above a few kilohertz, where theeffects of the superficial conduction of the current are noticeable.

Present day condensers are constituted by a plurality of elementalspools stacked up to form piles. The piles are placed within thecondenser housing or tank with the axis of the spools normal to therefrigerating coil. The cooling of condensers is not very advantageousbecause it is necessary to provide, between the inner wall of the tankand the part of the condenser under tension, solid electrical insulatorswhich also act as thermal insulators.

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a condenserwhich will eliminate the necessity of cooling by means of arefrigerating coil.

The invention is characterized in that the armature of the elementalspools are joined by parallel conductors constituted by metal stripsfolded in such a way as to provide at least one plate perpendicular inrelation to the plate to which the armature of the elemental spools arejoined. The purpose in folding the metal strips, which constitute theconductors, is that larger strips can thus be used which, consequently,increases the conducting crosssection or, in the case of high frequencycurrents, the conducting surface. The large metal surface alsofacilitates the thermal conductivity. The folding of the metal strips atright angles also makes them lose their flexibility which results insturdier mechanical assemblies.

The mechanical stability can further be enhanced, in accordance with theinvention, by the fact that the assembly is rigidified by means ofinsulating plates provided with suitable slots through which part of themetal strips extend; said strips being then folded to retain theinsulating plates.

It would be preferable, during the assembly of several pairs of parallelconductors, to have at least one plate of each metal strip located infront of a cooling surface, that is, the surface of one wall of thetank.

The invention is further described by the following several embodiments,which should not be taken as limitative examples, and which refer to theannexed drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an assembly constituted by severalelemental spools of condense-rs joined by means of folded metal strips.

FIGURE 1 gives a perspective view of an elemental condenser spool partlycut away to show the arrangement of the armature and dielectric layers.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 shows a view, from underneath, of the assembly of FIGURE 1,

FIGURES 4, 5, 6 and 9 are cross-sectional views of other embodiments ofthe same invention,

FIGURES 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views of completed condensers.

In FIGURE 1, two metal strips 1, 1', which form conductors, are foldedin such a manner that, viewed in crosssection (FIGURE 2), they effectthe form of two Ls. One of the two plates of each metal strip 1 and 1 is"ice applied against the extremity of elemental spools of condenser 2 bymeans of tongues 15 whereas the other plate extends perpendicularly inrelation to the first plate and longitudinally of the elementary spool.

Our FIG. 1, which shows an elemental spool 2, layers 20 and 21 are wounddielectric layers made, for example, of paper or polystyrene sheets. Ametallic armature, for instance of aluminum sheeting, is wound betweenlayers 20 and 21 and projects to the right. The projecting part 13 ofthe armature is thereafter crushed to form a metallic contact surface 16over which is secured, as by welding, a tongue 15 adapted to establish acontact with an outside conductor, such as one of the plates abovereferred to. A second armature 19 also projects away from the dielectriclayers 20 and 21 but on the left side and is also crushed to form ametallic contact surface 17 to which is secured a blade 15 to be fixedto an outside conductor. This type of elemental spool is well known inthe art.

The spools are joined to one of the plates of the conductors 1 or 1 bymeans of the tongues 15, 15 fixed to the two ends of each spool. Theassembly constituted by the conductors 1 and 1' and the elementaryspools 2 is held together by means of an insulating board 3 which alsoconstitutes the base of the pile and which is provided with two slots 7and 7' (FIG. 3) having the shape of an L and through which the ends 8and 8' of the metal strips extend. Ends 8 and 8' are folded over theinsulating plate 3. The stack of spools 2 is pressed between in sulatingboard 3 and another board 4 which is also provided with slots 6 and 6'having the shape of two Ls through which extend the ends of metal strips1 and 1, cut out of metal bands 1 and 1'.

As shown more particularly in FIGS. 5 to 9, several piles of stackedspools may be grouped into a housing or tank 13 to form a condenser. Itshould be noted that the axes of the spools of all the piles, exceptthose of FIG. 4, lie in a single plane so as to provide a substantialcooling surface and also that a minimum of conductor surface standsdirectly facing the inner wall of the tank.

Insulating boards 3 and 4 serve a dual purpose. Conductors 1 and 1' aresecured to board 3 which acts as a base as aforesaid. Board 4 is used asa cover for the pile of spools, the height of which may vary slightly.This is why such fixing means as foldable fingers 5 and 5' is used whichmay be made at will and in accordance to the actual height of the pile.The total height of conductors 1 and 1' must however be fixed because itis equal to the free height available within the tank 13 (FIGS. 7 and8). All piles of spools must be well packed within the tank 13 and thisis easily achieved since all the conductors 1 and 1 are of equal height.It is only necessary to place, under and over each pile built inaccordance to FIGURE 1, one or several solid, but resilient electricalinsulating layers.

On the other hand, boards 3 and 4 allow the spacing of the spools fromthe inner wall of the tank so that it becomes unnecessary to providesolid electrical insulators between conductors 1 and 1 and the innerwall of the tank, which insulators always act as thermal insulators aswell. The space available may be filled with an insulating fluid so asto avoid the use of a cooling coil.

During the assembly of the elemental spools 2, it is possible to foldthe metal strips in other than an L-shape. For example, thatdiagrammatically shown in FIGURE 4 where two stacks of elemental spoolsare held between two U-shaped members 9 and 9' or in accordance withFIGURES 5, 6 or 9 where a combination of the elements shown in FIGURE 2is used.

In FIGURE 5 the elemental spools 2 are located between two L-shapedconductors 10 and one T-shaped conductor 11; in FIGURE 6 spools 2 areplaced between 3 two L-shaped conductors 1t) and one Sshaped conductor12.

in FIGURES 7 and 8, three assemblies built in accordance with theconcepts of FIGURES 5 and 6 are shown in cross-section and in tank 113.In FIGURE 9 two stacks of spools are assembled by means of a T- shapedconductor 11 and a U-shaped conductor 14.

This particularly sturdy and mechanically steady assembly is conceivedfor multi-tap condensers.

We claim:

1. A condenser comprising: a plurality of elemental spools stacked oneupon the other to form at least one pile; each spool having an armaturecontact surface at each end thereof; a conductor on each end of saidpile of spools having a first plate joining adjacent contact surfaces;each conductor being further provided with at least one other plateextending perpendicularly of said first plate in parallel relationshipwith the axes of said spools.

2. A condenser comprising: elemental spools stacked one upon the otherto form a plurality of piles of spools;

the piles being disposed in alignment in such a way that the axes of thespools all lie in a common plane; each spool having an armature contactsurface at each end thereof; a conductor on the ends of each pile; eachconductor having a first plate joining adjacent contact surfaces; eachconductor being further provided with at least one other plate extendingperpendicularly of said first plate and in parallel relationship withsaid plane.

3. A condenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein adjacent piles have acommon conductor.

4. A condenser as claimed in claim 3, wherein said conductor has,generally, the form of a T.

5. A condenser as claimed in claim 3, wherein said conductor has,generally, the form of an S.

6. A condenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein the outer conductors ofthe end piles have, generally, the form of an L.

7. A condenser comprising: elemental spools stacked one upon the otherto form two piles of spools; the piles being disposed in alignment insuch a way that the axes of the spools all lie in a common plane; eachspool having an armature contact surface at each end thereof; aconductor on each of the outer ends of the piles and a common conductorfor the intermediate ends; each conductor having a first plate joiningadjacent contact surfaces; each conductor being also provided with atleast one further plate extending perpendicularly of said first plateand in parallel relationship with said plane.

8. A condenser as claimed in claim 7 wherein the outer end conductorsjoin one another to form a single U- shaped conductor.

9. A condenser as claimed in claim 7 wherein the end conductors have,generally the form of an L and the intermediate conductor, the form of aT.

10. A condenser as claimed in claim 7 wherein the end conductors have,generally the form of an L and the intermediate conductor, the form ofan S.

11. A condenser comprising: a housing; elemental spools stacked one uponthe other to form a plurality of piles of spools; the piles beingdisposed within said housing in alignment in such a way that the axes ofthe spools all he in a common plane; each spool having an armaturecontact surface at each end thereof; a conductor on the ends of eachpile; each conductor having a first plate joining adjacent contactsurfaces; each conductor being also provided with at least one furtherplate extending perpendicularly of said first plate and in parallelrelationship with said plane, said conductors being of equal length; aninsulating base board fixed to said conductors and upon which said pilesare set; an insulating cover board fixed to said conductors at the otherend thereof and pressing said spools together; said boards being sodimensioned as to space said piles from the inner walls of said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,900,352 Lewis Mar. 7, 1933 2,417,785 Slepian Mar. 18, 1947 2,531,185Wurster Nov. 21, 1950 2,799,815 Lockett July 16, 1957

1. A CONDENSER COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF ELEMENTAL SPOOLS STACKED ONEUPON THE OTHER TO FORM AT LEAST ONE PILE; EACH SPOOL HAVING AN ARMATURECONTACT SURFACE AT EACH END THEREOF; A CONDUCTOR ON EACH END OF SAIDPILE OF SPOOLS HAVING A FIRST PLATE JOINING ADJACENT CONTACT SURFACES;EACH CONDUCTOR BEING FURTHER PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE OTHER PLATEEXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY OF SAID FIRST PLATE IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIPWITH THE AXES OF SAID SPOOLS.